Study Shows a Little Money Buys a Lot of Calories at City Corner Stores

October 12, 2009. Philadelphia, Pa. – Children in Philadelphia who attended public schools and shopped at corner stores before or after school purchased almost 360 calories of foods and beverages per visit, according to new research published in the journal Pediatrics. Chips, candy and sugar-sweetened beverages were the most frequently purchased items. This is the first study to document both what foods and beverages children purchased in local corner stores on their way to and from school, and the nutritional content of those items.

Lead researcher Kelley Borradaile, Ph.D., from the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University, and colleagues from The Food Trust conducted over 800 surveys of students in grades 4 to 6 outside of 24 corner stores in Philadelphia. Research staff interviewed children about their purchases immediately after they were made, and also recorded the type, weight and size of each item purchased to collect nutritional information. Children in the study were from one of 10 urban K-8 schools, and over 80 percent of the students enrolled in the schools qualified for free or reduced-price meals. Other key findings from the study include:

Over 53 percent of students reported shopping at corner stores once daily, five days per week.

Almost 29 percent of the students surveyed shopped at corner stores both before and after school, five days per week.

On average, children spent a little over a dollar to purchase 356 calories of snack food and/or drinks during each visit. With just a dollar, children could buy an 8-ounce beverage, a single serving bag of chips, an assortment of candy and gum, and a popsicle.

Chips were the most frequently purchased item, accounting for about 34 percent of all items purchased, followed by candy, sugar-sweetened beverages and gum.

“This is the first study to show what children purchase from corner stores before and after school,” said Borradaile. “It is troubling that so little money buys so many calories. Corner stores are an important part of the urban landscape, and they have a significant impact on the amount and quality of calories children consume.”

Because corner stores are often prevalent in lower-income communities where children are at the highest risk for childhood obesity, Borradaile and colleagues stress the opportunity these stores offer to increase the availability of healthy food in communities.

Temple University is evaluating The Food Trust’s efforts to improve access to affordable, healthy foods in corner stores. Borradaile’s study provides baseline data for an ongoing two-year study of the program’s effects on children’s purchases.

“Promoting items like water, single-serving snacks and fresh fruits are small changes that could yield a significant impact on the quantity and quality of children’s food intake,” said Sandy Sherman, Ed.D, director of nutrition education at The Food Trust.

The study, “Snacking in Children: The Role of Urban Corner Stores,” was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its national program Healthy Eating Research. This study is part of a larger national effort, the Healthy Corner Store Initiative, to help store owners in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Oakland, Calif., stock fresh fruit and other healthy snacks.

Other researchers on this study are Sandy Sherman, Brianna Sandoval and Allison Karpyn, from The Food Trust; Stephanie S. Vander Veur, Tara McCoy and Gary D. Foster, from Temple University; and Joan Nachmani, from the Philadelphia School District.

About Healthy Eating ResearchHealthy Eating Research is a $16 million national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The program supports research on environmental and policy strategies to promote healthy eating among children to prevent childhood obesity, especially among the low-income and racial and ethnic populations at highest risk for obesity.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need-the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime.

Diabetes Health Medical Disclaimer

The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained on or available through this website is for general information purposes only. Opinions expressed here are the opinions of writers, contributors, and commentators, and are not necessarily those of Diabetes Health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website.

Greetings from Nadia

A few facts about me in case you are new to my column and site.

My life in the diabetes community started at a young age as the secret keeper of my maternal and paternal Grandmothers. They both had type 2 diabetes and my days spent alone with them exposed me to their misunderstanding of how their diabetes really affected them. Eating candy bars, hiding the candy wrappers and smoking cigarettes seemed innocent enough to them. A decade later I married a type 1 person living with diabetes and experienced the full court of the diabetes spectrum with my type 2 family members and type 1 husband of almost 20 years.

Login

My grandmothers, the type 2 have struggled with their diabetes as long as I could remember. Later my mother followed in her mother’s footsteps. Sadly, my brother followed in my mother’s footsteps and experienced an early passing at the age of 53. My brother Jamal’s passing had the greatest impact on me. Probably because were the Irish twins; eleven months apart and his departure devastated me.

As I tell most people, diabetes is not a glamorous profession. Most people that work in the industry have a personal connection. This is why I am still here publishing after 26 years.

On the flip side of the coin, helping and inspiring people is my mission. I understand the daily challenges you face regardless of your education, IQ and economic circumstance. I am not a healthcare professional. Simply a lay person who has lived with a Type 1 and Type 2 family member who struggled with their disease. My former Type 1 husband was a role model in how to manage your diabetes, while my intelligent family members were role models on how an invisible disease can be misunderstood, devastating the quality of their life while leaving heart broken family members behind.

The perils of my experience have taught me to never judge anyone. As knowledgeable as I am, I also realize that I have no idea of the strings that pull at each person heart.

What I love about the diabetes community?

Once I meet someone and we share that we have a common experience; their diabetes and my life long experience as a care taker, we tend to have an instant bond. Think about it. How many people do you meet who you feel really get you right after your introduction? The conversations that follow tend to be very personal. Not a common experience with all strangers.

AskNadia Column

I started this column because where ever I go, people tend to ask me a lot of diabetes questions.

My answers are my opinions and it is not to be replaced by your healthcare professional’s opinion. The answers to your question in most cases will include research and other links to give you a borader perspective on your question.